Bernstein Bank Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Hershey (NYSE:HSY) Stock Price

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) had its price target lowered by research analysts at Bernstein Bank from $177.00 to $146.00 in a report released on Wednesday. The firm currently has a “market perform” rating on the stock. Bernstein Bank’s price objective points to a potential downside of 4.22% from the stock’s previous close.

HSY has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on Hershey from $184.00 to $148.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Hershey from $150.00 to $140.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Hershey from $165.00 to $159.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Hershey from $180.00 to $170.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their target price on shares of Hershey from $195.00 to $170.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 23rd. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $167.10.

Hershey Stock Performance

Shares of HSY stock opened at $152.43 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $165.24 and its 200-day moving average price is $180.97. The stock has a market cap of $30.84 billion, a PE ratio of 17.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.38. Hershey has a 12 month low of $140.13 and a 12 month high of $211.92.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.29. Hershey had a net margin of 16.17% and a return on equity of 43.24%. On average, equities analysts expect that Hershey will post 9.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hershey

In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 278 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.00, for a total transaction of $41,144.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,682 shares in the company, valued at $396,936. This trade represents a 9.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hershey

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Park Avenue Securities LLC increased its position in Hershey by 1.1% in the third quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 5,646 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,083,000 after buying an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Czech National Bank lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 6.9% during the 3rd quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 30,082 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,769,000 after buying an additional 1,952 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 33.0% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,054 shares of the company’s stock valued at $777,000 after acquiring an additional 1,005 shares during the period. Atomi Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Hershey in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $235,000. Finally, City Holding Co. raised its stake in Hershey by 42.4% during the 3rd quarter. City Holding Co. now owns 849 shares of the company’s stock worth $163,000 after acquiring an additional 253 shares during the period. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Hershey

The Hershey Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of confectionery products and pantry items in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: North America Confectionery, North America Salty Snacks, and International. It offers chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery products; gum and mint refreshment products, including mints, chewing gums, and bubble gums; protein bars; pantry items, such as baking ingredients, toppings, beverages, and sundae syrups; and snack items comprising spreads, bars, snack bites, mixes, popcorn, and pretzels.